Getting that Great Looking Finish

John Adams, Horizon Hobby's Research and Development Manager, gives his tips, tricks and techniques for getting great-looking finishes.

A beautiful, professional quality finish adds thatall-important final touch to your model. It's what gets those extra stares at the field…and makes you proud ofa job well done. Some expert builders would have you believe that covering is an art that takes years of experience to develop, but the truth is that you can achieve it with some basic know-how and patience. Understanding the materials you're working with is vitally important, and, surprisingly, this is where many modelers make the biggest mistakes. Each brand of covering has unique properties. So if you learn using one type of covering and then try using those techniques with a different brand, it often leads to marginal results. I've been using UltraCote exclusively for the last 15 years. UltraCote offers several unique properties that are advantageous over other film coverings, making it easier for me to achieve and maintain a professional finish. Applying UltraCote requires its own learned techniques.